\u201cWhoever fasts in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.\u201d (Sahih: Sunan an-Nasa\u2019i)
\nRamadan is approaching quickly, and we\u2019re finding ourselves struggling to greet it. The Companions would prepare for Ramadan for months in advance, but with only two weeks left, how can young Muslims prepare for the holiest of months?!
\nLet\u2019s begin by discussing the gravity of this month. Ramadan is the one month where odds are defied. Allah\u2019s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
\n\u201cWhen the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained\u201d (Sahih Al-Bukhari).
\nThe entire universe quite literally conspires to give believers an edge. But we have to work for it. As young Muslims, we are in a particularly interesting spot because we are at the point in our lives where there is an intense battle of our nafs and the good habits we are trying to build.
\nIn the month where the devil is locked away and we can truly diagnose our sins, we should try to build habits that will boost our Ramadan, bolster our self-development, give us a surplus of good deeds, and wash away the filth from our heart.<\/p>\n
So, here are the reminders to give us that Ramadan edge. 2. Eat (or drink) Suhoor<\/strong> 3. Trade the music for Quran or podcasts<\/strong> 4. Be (more) generous<\/strong> 5. Do MORE<\/strong> 6. Engage with the Quran<\/strong> 7. Chilllllll with the iftar<\/strong> \u201cWhoever fasts in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previous sins.\u201d (Sahih: Sunan an-Nasa\u2019i)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c71-introduction-to-islam-muslims","category-c98-ramadan-showcase"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\n1. Set your intention<\/strong>
\nLet\u2019s refer back to the hadith mentioned at the very beginning of the article. or one to hope for a reward, he\/she must intend to do the actions that will incur Allah\u2019s pleasure.
\nI always tell others \u201cif you intend for good, why would Allah not help bring you to it? Isn\u2019t Allah the Most Merciful?\u201d.
\nSo make that intention, tell yourself you are fasting, praying, reading Quran, helping make iftar and so on, for the sake of Allah and His pleasure.
\nEven the most mundane of actions like making your bed and washing dishes can become worship simply by intention!<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s nice to know many families make this a tradition, but others don\u2019t.
\nSo set your alarm and eat something for Suhoor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
\n\u201cTake Suhoor as there is a blessing in it.\u201d (Sahih Bukhari)
\nDo you have difficulty getting out of bed? Fine. Leave a bottle of water by your bed and set an alarm.<\/p>\n
\nMany of us struggle to stop listening to music to the point it has become an addiction. That addiction takes a toll on your heart and Ramadan is meant to wash over our hearts.
\nSo trade out the music for that which is beneficial for you now and later. One of my favorite Podcasts as introduced to me by a friend is the Qalam Podcast (on Apple\u2019s Podcast app). The scholars that present are so intriguing and you learn SO MUCH.<\/p>\n
\nThe prophet (PBUH) was described as more generous than the fast wind during Ramadan.
\nA major belief in our faith is when we give, Allah returns more to us. I mean, is God not the infinite? Does He not hold all bounty?
\nThen of course when you give for His cause, He can give you better. And a good donation is never lost.
\nThere is no shortage of fundraisers at the masjid, so give. Check out Launchgood.com (a global crowdfunding website for Islamic projects) for more ideas.<\/p>\n
\nAll the Sunnah acts you learned about when you were younger? Do them!
\nPray the Sunnah prayers.
\nMake the duaa you\u2019ve learned.
\nSmile.
\nServe iftar to others.
\nUse a miswak (please).
\nVisit friends.
\nSit down while drinking.
\nEngage in more Dhikr.
\nGo out of your way to be kinder!<\/p>\n
\nThere are some of you who do this easily, and alhamdulillah, that\u2019s a blessing from God. But some others struggle.
\nTake baby steps. Play it around the house and while driving. Download a Quran app on your phone and make a promise you won\u2019t sleep without reading a certain quantity.
\nHold yourself accountable. Or have someone else hold you accountable.
\nPoint is, struggle to increase your Quran intake.<\/p>\n
\nSlow down. And hydrate yourself. You don\u2019t need to eat 3 meals worth because you\u2019ve missed breakfast and lunch.
\nI promise you, your body can take it. Pace yourself at iftar and eat until your comfortably full.
\nGo pray Maghrib and `Isha\u2019\/Taraweeh. Eat a bit more if you\u2019re hungry but for the love of God, nobody should gain weight while eating during Ramadan.
\nThere are plenty of healthy Ramadan recipes if you need help (just google them).
\nI always try to personally challenge myself during Ramadan. For me, that looks like tripling my Quran intake, forcing myself to drink at least water for Suhoor (it\u2019s really hard), setting up Quran circles and donating with full faith I\u2019ll have it back.
\nI cut back on social media, try to avoid music and try to use my time productively.
\nIn all seriousness, it is only ourselves who can assess where we need to grow, what we need to cut off and what we\u2019re doing it for. It is only us who decides if we\u2019ll take a step toward Allah and what this month will be for us.
\nDon\u2019t be a loser who leaves Ramadan having not done BETTER. It\u2019s not easy but it is temporary and insha Allah, it will be worth it for all of us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"